Powerful storm moving into L.A. area Friday afternoon; up to 6 inches of rain possible

Officials said the storm will also bring significant winds and could produce up to 6 inches of rain in some mountain areas. Rains will continue through Saturday.

A flash-flood watch has been issued for mountain areas that have been scorched by wildfires in recent years.

The watch was issued as a powerful storm was bearing down on the region. The heaviest rainfall is expected to hit Santa Barbara and Ventura counties Friday afternoon and reach the Los Angeles area in the late afternoon and last till about midnight, the National Weather Service said.

The flash-flood watch was issued for areas that were burned by blazes such as the Station fire and Morris fire in the San Gabriel Mountains in 2009, the weather service said.

Those areas "will have the potential for flash flooding and debris flows," the agency said.